


Crowley Doesn't Read*

by madlysanecatlady



Series: The Nice and Accurate Ineffable Husbands Compendium [8]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, Stardust spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 11:52:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19150498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlysanecatlady/pseuds/madlysanecatlady
Summary: *except when read to in very specific circumstances by a very specific angel.





	Crowley Doesn't Read*

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read Stardust (or only watched the film) there's some spoilage.
> 
> Shout out to Neil Gaiman for ruining my life in Middle School with Stardust and then teaming up with Terry Pratchett to patch it all back a year later.

‘I don’t read, angel, you know that,’ Crowley rolled his eyes at the book Aziraphale was holding hopefully when Crowley entered the bedroom, absolutely _knackered_ after that literal hell of a day they had spent thwarting their respective people’s attempts at ridding themselves of them.

‘I know,’ Aziraphale nodded, his expression still a calm and hopeful smile.

‘I thought you said you wanted to give sleeping another go tonight since you were so drained after all that world-saving and prophecy-solving?’ Crowley really had been looking forward to sleeping next to a warm presence again. Aziraphale had stayed next to him the previous night as well, trying and failing to sleep alongside Crowley, and the demon had felt rather comforted by his presence. He wanted the angel to be able to experience that as well.

‘I will,’ Aziraphale nodded with a smile. ‘But I do think you would like this story, dear.’

Crowley paused, briefly a little thrown by the new pet name. It would be an untenable lie to say he didn’t immediately and absolutely fall in love with it and decide that he would be completely miserable for eternity if he never heard it leave the angel’s lips again. Aziraphale appeared to have noticed.

‘Get into bed, dear, and get comfortable,’ the angel smiled widely at the way Crowley’s whole face brightened at the mere utterance of the word _dear_.

‘Only if you do too, angel,’ Crowley hadn’t meant for his voice to come out dripping in softness and affection but, well, here he was.

‘Of course, dear, how else am I supposed to read to you?’ Aziraphale was already in a pair of plush blue pajamas that had a pattern of apples and snakes on them, now that Crowley got a good look at them. His heart skipped a beat at the meaning behind _that_ , distracting him momentarily from what the angel had said to him.

‘Wait, _read to me_?’ Crowley finally caught up as Aziraphale was climbing into bed and looking at his demon expectantly. ‘You want to read a book to me?’

‘Well, not the whole book, obviously, but perhaps a few chapters,’ Aziraphale shrugged. ‘You said you don’t read. You never said you don’t get _read to_. I rather think this to be a clever workaround.’

‘Clever must be your middle name by now, angel,’ Crowley hopped into the bed and slithered under the warm covers, immediately feeling the decadent heat radiating off the angel beside him. The snake within him hissed in delight at that, begging him to slide nearer to the veritable sun he had lying in his bed. He looked to Aziraphale briefly, requesting silent permission to come closer and drink in that warmth, wasting no time once he received it in slithering over to drape himself haphazardly over Aziraphale, heat leeching into him immediately, warming him to his core and back out.

‘Comfortable, dear?’ Aziraphale’s tone was laced with affection and the slight bubble of suppressed chuckles. He readjusted his positioning a little to allow Crowley to more comfortably rest his head atop his padded, fleece-clad chest and smiled, bringing a hand up to smooth the demon’s sometimes-wild hair into order. ‘Are you warm enough?’

‘You’re an honest-to-goodness space heater, angel,’ Crowley yawned widely. ‘I could curl up here and sleep for the better part of a century.’

‘Let’s start with a night and see where that gets me,’ Aziraphale laughed, the echo of it within his chest tickling at Crowley’s ear. ‘Are you ready to hear the start of the story?’

‘Oh, alright,’ Crowley yawned again, ready to nod off to sleep the moment he felt he had listened long enough to whatever silly book Aziraphale had chosen to try and introduce him to reading with. ‘Hit me with your best reading voice, angel.’

‘Of course dear,’ Aziraphale smiled and opened the book. Crowley didn’t much care for the cover – a bland purple one with a gold star on it, but he dutifully stayed quiet, waiting for Aziraphale to begin. ‘Alright, chapter one. _In Which We Learn of the Village of Wall, and of the Curious Thing That Occurs There Every Nine Years_.’

Crowley listened to the story, surprised by how engrossing it was. He was barely into the first chapter and Crowley absolutely needed to know how all the events would unfold. Aziraphale was an incredibly gifted narrator. His voice was smooth and filled with tender affection for the words it spoke, and he took great care to maintain a steady pace as he read aloud in a quiet voice to the quiet demon curled up practically on top of him. He did voices when needed for dialogue, and even included a few choice sound effects just for Crowley’s amusement. Had the demon known letting Aziraphale read to him would be this fun or, more importantly, such a source of obvious joy for the angel, he would have requested it ages ago. As it was, he simply sat still, letting the quiet words wash over him.

Aziraphale reached the end of the third chapter and looked down at Crowley, moving to pat his hair to check if he was still awake. ‘Are you ready to call it a night, so to speak?’

‘Not a chance!’ Crowley huffed with a roll of his eyes. ‘Keep reading, angel. I need to know what happens.’

Aziraphale looked triumphant. ‘I knew you’d like it.’

‘It’s got disobedience for the sake of love all over in it, how could I _not_ love it?’ Crowley yawned.

‘You’re exhausted, dear, perhaps we should save the rest of the story for morning?’

‘No!’ Crowley curled himself more tightly around his angel. ‘I won’t be able to sleep if I don’t know what happens. Besides, I like hearing you read, angel. You have so much love in your voice when you do. It helps me imagine what it might be like later on once you get used to me, well, if you do.’

‘You don’t have to wait for that, dear,’ Aziraphale’s tone practically melted over to Crowley’s ears it was so warm and soft. ‘I love my books for certain, but I think there is one very special thing I hold so much more dear.’

‘If you warm me any more I might catch fire,’ Crowley warned. ‘Finish the story, angel.’

‘Of course, dear. We wouldn’t want you to spontaneously combust,’ Aziraphale turned his attention back to the book.

The book was short but filled with adventure. Crowley savoured every moment and every scene. His imagination was captured by the pure magic of the places described, and of course, his heart was capture by the romance leaping from the pages. But when Aziraphale read him the ending, Crowley frowned, feeling his breath hitch.

‘She outlives him?’ he asked, his voice dead and quiet.

‘Well, yes, sometimes these things happen,’ Aziraphale shrugged, rubbing Crowley’s back apologetically. ‘It’s a sad ending, but it’s sad because their lives were so happy.’

‘Don’t you ever dare do that,’ Crowley said, turning his face to bury it into the fleecy warmth of Aziraphale’s pajama top.

‘Do what?’ Aziraphale was confused. The demon made little sense when he was so tired.

‘Don’t leave me behind,’ Crowley’s voice was small and pleading. ‘I never want to outlive you. I’m not strong like a star. When I thought I’d lost you in the bookshop… my whole world ended. I can’t survive that again.’

Aziraphale felt as if his heart were melting in his chest. ‘You are far stronger and more brilliant than any star could dream of being, dear. But I promise you, I will do all that is within my power to try and stay by your side. So long as you promise the same.’

Crowley nodded into Aziraphale, the tension in his spine and shoulders relaxing. He stretched luxuriously before curling around Aziraphale, tucking his face into the warm crook of his neck. ‘Goodnight, angel. Dream only of sweet things.’

‘I needn’t dream, dear, you’re already here,’ Aziraphale smiled at the nuzzling at his neck. ‘I suppose I could spare a few thoughts for pastries and tea.’

‘Mm, that’s the spirit,’ Crowley mumbled, barely clinging to consciousness.

‘Sweetest of dreams, dear,’ Aziraphale felt the demon go very still. He closed his eyes with a smile and contented sigh. ‘I’ve got the most wonderful book to read to you tomorrow.’


End file.
